The South Bay's Got Major League Game
The 49ers and the A's Just Got a Whole Lot Closer
Story by David Madrid

Just this past week sports fans from both sides of the Bay Bridge have taken a blow, first the Oakland A's announced their move to Fremont, then the San Francisco 49ers came out with their talk of moving to Santa Clara -- both cities located some forty five minutes from their original spots, and located in the South Bay.

When I first heard the news about both teams leaving their historic homes, I thought it was just all talk, you know some ploy to put pressure on their city officials to build new stadiums or restore already existing facilities. Hell, it's been rumored that the Niners wanted to move since early 2000. But with all the proposed plans of new stadiums being built, it looks like the Oakland A's and 49ers mean business.

Just last night the eleven o'clock news said that it was official, the Oakland A's are moving to Fremont. Ain't that a trip? As a boy I grew up an A's fan, back in the late 80's it was quite the experience to drive from San Jose up to Oakland to cheer on the "Bash Brothers" and watch Ricky Henderson steal bases. But those days are gone and a new era has just begun, my new born son is going to grow up being a “Fremont Athletics” fan. Or possibly a “Silicon Valley A's” fan, those being the two names the teams are considering. I just hope the city of Fremont can give my boy the whole major league experience.

Coming from the South Bay, sports fans out here have a different point of view of the proposed moves. It's all good if you're an A's or a Niner fan, knowing that your team is going to be right around the corner. But even though folks are excited, some are skeptical of their teams name change. There is alot of history and culture that come with a team name that many fans would like to preserve despite the teams South Bay move. Tell that to Sen. Dianne Feinstein who is pushing to make it not possible for the 49ers to keep the “SF” in their name or logo if the they move to “SC.” Feinstein's not the only one who's hating, Frisco mayor Gavin Newsom reminds me of a kid losing a kick ball game who wants to take his ball home. He has been fighting the move tooth and nail, and is just today admitting that the Niners deserve a better home. All I could say is, good luck with the 2016 Olympics.

Wow, three major league sports teams in the South Bay (can't forget the Sharks) what does that mean? Could this be the shifting of the Bay Area identity to the world? For so long the South Bay has been overlooked when compared with San Francisco and Oakland. But it seems to me things are changing, and by having two south bay cities that are basically unheard of, snatch up two major league teams is proof of that. The South Bay is where it's at for the new face of the greater bay area. We got it all out here, the money, the power, and now the game.

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